VZCZCXRO6980
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #3950/01 2901047
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161047Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0475
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1713
RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 0742
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6761
RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 0088
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 1392
RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 1395

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 003950 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PARM EFIN ECIN EAGR PL SN JA NK
SK, PK, NL, SI, RU, VM, CH 
SUBJECT: OCTOBER 16 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: ZARDARI VISIT, 
FINANCIAL CRISIS, TAINTED BEANS, ASEM SUMMIT, SIX-PARTY 
TALKS 
 
¶1. Spokesperson Qin Gang made the following key points 
at the October 16 MFA press briefing: 
 
-- China will take seriously any request from Pakistan 
to help that country weather the financial crisis. 
Qin would not, however, give details of any agreement 
on financial assistance reached between Chinese 
President Hu Jintao and visiting Pakistan President 
Asif Ali Zardari. 
 
-- China stands ready to work with other countries to 
deal with the financial crisis.  China has not 
received any invitations to attend a summit meeting 
regarding the turmoil. 
 
-- Several European leaders, including German 
Chancellor Merkel, will visit China to attend the 7th 
Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) October 24-25. 
 
-- Six-Party Talks:  China is in consultations with 
the other parties to convene a heads of delegation 
meeting at a "convenient time." 
 
-- China will make an announcement "soon" regarding 
the Olympic regulations governing foreign journalists, 
which are set to expire October 17. 
 
Pakistan President's Visit: Energy and Financial Aid 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶2. Reporters repeatedly asked MFA Spokesperson Qin 
Gang to provide specifics on agreements signed between 
President Hu Jintao and Pakistani President Asif Ali 
Zardari during Zardari's visit to China.  Qin merely 
stated that the two sides had signed a wide array of 
deals covering economics, trade, mining, agriculture, 
the environment and broadcasting.  Qin said he did not 
have details about any energy deals signed during the 
visit.  China and Pakistan have cooperated on civilian 
nuclear energy and will continue to work together. 
This cooperation, Qin stressed, is for peaceful 
purposes and is under the supervision of the IAEA.  On 
financial assistance, Qin said China is an "all- 
weather friend" and will "take seriously" any requests 
made by Pakistan to help that country weather the 
financial crisis.  China and Pakistan remain in 
communication about the financial turmoil, Qin stated. 
 
Financial Crisis 
---------------- 
 
¶3. China has given positive and steady signals that it 
stands ready to work with other countries, including 
those in the East Asia region, to deal with the 
financial crisis, Qin said.  China takes note of the 
many proposals to address the crisis, including ideas 
to hold summit meetings.  China is willing to 
cooperate and communicate with other countries, though 
China has yet to receive any invitations to 
participate in a summit meeting on the crisis. 
 
ASEM Summit and Upcoming Visits 
------------------------------- 
 
¶4. Qin Gang announced that the President of Slovenia, 
along with the Prime Ministers of Vietnam, Denmark, 
Poland, Singapore and the Netherlands will visit China 
to participate in the 7th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) 
in Beijing October 24-25.  German Chancellor Merkel 
will also attend the meeting. 
 
Six-Party Talks 
--------------- 
 
¶5. China is in consultation with the other parties in 
the Six-Part Talks to convene a heads of delegation 
meeting at a "convenient time," Qin stated.  China 
will announce further details soon.  Asked about 
recent statements in the DPRK press that North Korea 
may cut ties to South Korea if the South continues a 
policy of "confrontation," Qin said China is committed 
to helping the DPRK and ROK achieve peace and 
reconciliation through dialogue and cooperation.  The 
 
BEIJING 00003950  002 OF 002 
 
 
Six-Party Talks have made "major progress" and China 
urges all parties to honor their commitments, meet 
each other halfway and jointly promote the development 
of the Six-Party process. 
 
Thailand-Cambodia Clashes 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. China has expressed concern over the Thailand- 
Cambodia conflict and urges both sides to exercise 
restraint and to settle the dispute through dialogue, 
Qin said. 
 
Foreign Journalist Regulations 
------------------------------ 
 
¶7. A Christian Science Monitor journalist pushed Qin 
Gang to give a yes-or-no answer on whether the Olympic 
regulations governing foreign journalists (which allow 
foreign journalists to travel without first seeking 
local government permission) would be extended.  The 
regulations are set to expire October 17.  Qin noted 
that he understood journalists' eagerness on the issue, 
saying that information would be released "shortly." 
Qin then repeated points made at previous press 
briefings, stating that China will continue "reform 
and opening" and will "welcome and facilitate" the 
work of foreign reporters. 
 
Tainted Chinese Beans in Japan 
------------------------------ 
 
¶8. China takes food safety seriously and has expressed 
sympathy for Japanese consumers harmed by frozen beans 
tainted with pesticides, Qin stated.  The company in 
Shandong Province that produces the beans has an 
"excellent" safety record, and the beans were found to 
be pesticide free by inspectors prior to export.  Only 
one bag of beans in the entire batch was found to 
contain pesticides.  China facilitated an October 16 
visit to the Shandong producer by Japanese officials. 
Qin noted that Japanese authorities, police and the 
media increasingly believe the contamination to be a 
"criminal incident" and not related to food safety. 
China will continue to work with Japanese authorities 
to find the truth. 
 
Chinalco and Lehman Brothers Collapse 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. A journalist asked if the Chinese Government was 
trying to help the Aluminum Corporation of China 
(Chinalco) retrieve USD 8 billion worth of shares 
Chinalco owns in the mine company Rio Tinto. 
Chinalco's Rio Tinto stock was held in a Lehman 
Brothers account and, following Lehman's bankruptcy, 
was transferred to a custodial account in Hong Kong. 
Some press reports allege that the Chinese Government 
is pressuring Hong Kong authorities to release the 
shares.  Qin Gang would not comment on the specifics 
of the case but said that given the current 
environment, Chinese companies are concerned about 
their overseas assets. 
PICCUTA